Operation Lotus pauses in Karnataka, BJP MLAs set to return to Bengaluru

Earlier in the day, Congress workers staged a protest outside a Manesar hotel where the BJP MLAs have been put up amid political developments back home. Former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa on Tuesday had told his party legislators to be ready for good news. Confident Home Minister MB Patil said they won't succeed in destabilising the Karnataka government.

By

NewsX Bureau

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Updated

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16 January 2019,

8:54 PM

Confident Home Minister MB Patil said the BJP won't succeed in destabilising the Karnataka government

The top brass of the BJP has stepped in to end the political turmoil in Karnataka, asking its state unit to give up the race for government formation. This comes in the midst of horse trading allegations being made by both the JDS-Congress combine and the BJP. All Karnataka BJP MLAs who were staying at a hotel in Gurgram’s Manesar are now set to return to capital Bengaluru on Thursday. In the Congress camp, as many as 73 MLAs are expected to attend the legislative meet on Friday as fence sitters have decided to stay with the ruling alliance.

Disgruntled Congressman Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was said to be a kingpin in the political tug-of-war, failed to muster the numbers to bring down the JDS-Congress coalition government in Karnataka.

Earlier in the day, Congress workers staged a protest outside a Manesar hotel where the BJP MLAs have been put up amid political developments back home. Former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa on Tuesday had told his party legislators to be ready for good news.

The Karnataka Congress has said the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah has been exposed as they were trying to dislodge the HD Kumaraswamy government.

Confident Home Minister MB Patil said they won’t succeed in destabilising the Karnataka government. Two MLAs – R Shankar and H Nagesh – withdrew their support to the JDS-Congress government in Karnataka. However, there is no threat to the ruling alliance as Kumaraswamy government has 5 more MLAs than the required 113 halfway mark.